Choroid Plexus Cyst..Anyone with experience?

MrsSonny24

I had an anatomy scan a week and a half ago, this morning i went in for my 20 week appt and the doctor told me that my baby has a Choroid Plexus Cyst, but it's nothing to worry about!  I'm a first time mother, telling me my baby has a cyst on his brain and then telling me not to worry..is impossible.  I'm so scared that somehting is really wrong with my baby.  Doctor said everything else looked great and that this cyst usually goes away as baby developes more.  He said i will have a follow-up ultrasound around 28 weeks to monitor the cyst and hopefully it has gone away at that point.  Has anyone else gone through this, or have any words of wisdom.  The doctor really didn't seem worried about it and kind of blew it off.  I on the other hand have been an emotional wreck all day.  Any advice is greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much. 

H2obabyblu

They are fairly common and 99% of the time harmless.

Here is  a blurb from :

https://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/health_wellness/prenatal_tests/ultrasound/article/choroid-plexus-cyst

The choroid plexus is an area of the brain that is not involved thinking or personality. Rather, the choroid plexus makes a fluid that protects and nourishes the brain and spinal cord. When a fluid-filled space is seen in the choroid plexus during an ultrasound, it is called a choroid plexus cyst (CPC). "We don't know why, but between 1 and 3 percent of all fetuses will manifest a CPC at 16 to 24 weeks of pregnancy," says Dr. Roy A. Filly, a Professor of Radiology and of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Chief of the Section of Diagnostic Sonography at University of California, San Francisco. CPCs can be found either on one side of the brain (unilateral) or both sides (bilateral). They can vary in size and shape, from small and round to large and irregular. Some fetuses have more than one.

Regardless of their number, shape or size, choroid plexus cysts are not harmful to the baby. "I am not aware of a single instance where a CPC caused damage to a fetus," says Dr. Filly.

Dr. Peter Doubilet, a Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, agrees, "That's one very important fact. CPCs are not harmful, and they nearly always go away by the third trimester of pregnancy."

If CPCs are found during an ultrasound, the radiologist will scrutinize every organ and body part to look for other abnormalities, such as a malformed heart, head, hands or feet, and stunted growth of the baby. When no other abnormalities are found, the diagnosis is called an "isolated CPC."

 

njmommaterp

I had my 20 week u/s yesterday and had the same result!!

The Dr told me, he looked me dead in the eyes, and said "do not lose sleep over this." He said, your baby has no other markers, his/her growth is right on target and he said he would not suggest another u/s but he understands if I want one and to speak to my midwife (which I am going to do). He said, that he wouldn't recommend another u/s until 6-8 weeks (if I choose to have one) and that it typically clears up by the 3rd tri. He said, that a nuerologist doesn't even consider this a problem and that a lot of adults are walking around with them but we have no clue bc most of us don't get tests routinely done.

ALSO, he compared it to a pimple. He said, when teenagers go through a growth spurt, their facial glands get clogged. He said, that is what this is. The baby is growing rapidly and this gland has gotten clogged and will most likely, clear it self up.

I of course had to google it and this time google was my friend. This is so common and as long as you do not have any other markers, things are in our favor. So many people have said their Drs are seeing it more and more bc u/s machines are getting better and Drs are doing more of them.

I know you won't feel better until you get your follow-up u/s as I, but honestly, I think our babies will be OK. Good luck to you!!

julygal

DD had two CPCs.  They are a soft marker for trisomy 18, but we were told that trisomy 18 would present with other markers, so in isolation the cysts really meant nothing.  We were also given a f/u u/s.  However, we were told it was more to check that development still looked normal, because the cysts almost always resolve themselves.  The cysts had resolved themselves by the 27 week u/s,and everything was still developing perfectly with no abnormalities noted.  DD was born w/o complications, and is a great 4 y/o with no huge concerns.

Treasa

Yes, my baby has one too.  Doc told me it is very common & that it usually goes away after around 24 weeks.  What I was told that on its own it is harmless, when accompanied by other markers such as heart defects, joint, hands & foot problems which would all be visible on the u/s it could raise a red flag for Trisomy 18. 

I am not meaning to worry you but what I am saying is after discovering the cyst your doc would have looked at the chambers of the heart & other areas for problems.  If he had seen problems he would have let you know at this point. 

My doc kind of blew it off too but he did take the time to explain it to me.  I am not at all worried.  I do believe it will be gone by the next u/s.

Try not to worry - I think everything will be fine!

AshleyMF1983

II had my anatomy scan on March 1 and was told my baby girl has 1 choroid plexus cyst on her brain. We have no other markers of Down Syndrome or Trisomy 18. I took the news very hard, and was horribly depressed for a week. I would just burst out crying at random moments throughout the day. My doctor is not worried at all. She did say wecould have an amniocentesis if we wanted, but given the risk of miscarriage, we declined. It took me a few weeks to feel better mentally. I did a lot of researching online - even though people told me not to. Do you know what I found? That it actually made me feel BETTER. The reason is that I could not find a single "horror story" where a baby had choroid plexus cysts (and no other markers) and turned out to have one of those disorders - they were all healthy. I highly recommend this site I found which has a message board where you can read tons of success stories: https://choroidplexuscyst.org/forum/

There's also this great article I found called "Obsetrical Sonography: The Best Way To Terrify A Pregnant Woman." It was written by an OB/GYN. He says that the research that found that choroid plexus cysts alone are related to higher chances of Trisomy 18 were all done on high-risk pregnancies and the mothers were over 35 years old. To quote him, ?I have no instance in my recollection where this 1 abnormality was the sole reason I was able to recognize a fetus with a chromosomal problem in a low risk pregnancy. I believe that the authors who did this excellent research in the high risk patients are becoming aware that these abnormalities are not proving to be as present in the low risk patients as they had hoped.?

Bottom line?  Don't worry.  I know you're thinking that's impossible....I thought it was too.  But I am the world's biggest worrier, and I was able to get to that point.

lovemymaddy

I had the same experience with my DD. I nearly made myself sick with worry even though my dr. told me not to. That being said, DO NOT worry!    DD is here now (in my siggy) and perfectly healthy. And the more people you ask about it, the more good stories you will hear that nothing was wrong with their LOs either. IRL I think I talked to 4-5 women whose LOs had CPCs and are now perfectly healthy. Sooo scary at first, I know, but try to take comfort in all of the positive stories. ((hugs))

Kath1424

I think there are other posts earlier in the month because i have responded to quite a few. My DD had a few CP cysts on her brain and same as you- 1st child I was sick over it...etc etc.. she is now 5 1/2 very smart, beautiful little girl...they disappeared by the Level 2 U/S! So do NOT worry! EVerything will be okay!!!!!!!!

Teresa1896

My baby had 2 of these during the 20 week scan.  As others have said, our LO also didn't have any soft markers of Trisomies, but Doc suggested a follow-up growth ultrasound in 6-8 weeks for another issue. I freaked out, even though the doc told me not to, but googling also made me feel better.

We had the growth ultrasound at 28 weeks, and everything was FINE. Cysts were gone and everything else (organs, limb length, fluid levels) measured right on track.No other markers were found for any genetic issues.  I was so relieved! Try not to worry, this is one of those things that just sounds much scarier than it really is.

megd06

I think we have a couple of ladies on the August board who were told their babies had that--and so far, everything is turning out alright. You could always go post over there, and see if they can answer any questions for you...we're all nice over there, promise

KARMENEVA

Hello:) I totally understand what you are going through! During my first pregnancy,the joy I felt upon finding out I was having a boy was replaced by devastation when the Dr. then informed me that my son had three bilateral choroid plexus cysts. I had no clue what that meant at the time, I just knew hearing the words cyst, and brain, in the same sentence sounded horrible. I was a mess, really, I think I cried for two months straight. At my last ultrasound, two of the cysts had resolve, one had not. I was terrified that something was wrong with my baby, moreso that it would be something that wasn't obvious at first, like a learning disability or something of that nature. Granted the Doctor never even raised that possibility but in my grief I couldn't help but visualize every possible worst case scenario. Five years later all I can say is I sure did waste a lot of tears. My son is smart, beautiful, well adjusted, kind, well behaved, and just an all around good kid. No amount of anyone telling you it will be alright can stop you from worrying, but believe me, it will be fine, and in a few months you will be holding your beautiful baby! Good Luck to you!! Karmen